Media watchdog seeks $25.2 mil. budget for AI transformation, fact-checking

Korea's media watchdog, the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC), will seek a 34.6 billion-won ($25.2 million) budget for 2027, up 13.2 percent from this year, to foster a 'media basic society.' Of the total, 10 billion won is earmarked for a project using local broadcasters' stock footage to train artificial intelligence, and funds are also allocated for a 'transparency center' for fact-checking following the enforcement of the revised Information and Communications Network Act in early July.

Korea's media watchdog said Tuesday it will seek a 34.6 billion-won $25.2 million budget for 2027, up 13.2 percent from this year's budget. The increased budget proposal comes as part of the Korea Media and Communications Commission's KMCC efforts to foster what it calls a "media basic society," where everyone can safely access and share the benefits of media. Of the total being requested, 10 billion won will be earmarked for a project to utilize stock footage owned by local broadcasters to train artificial intelligence AI , the media watchdog said. It also includes money needed to operate an envisioned "transparency center" tasked with fact-checking and other related research, following the revision to the Information and Communications Network Act that is being enforced since early July. The act aims to stem the spread of false information.